Reason Why
by cyberwulf
Summary: We never were told why Ethan turned Giles into a Fyarl demon. Here's one possibility. Giles/Ethan.


1 Reason Why  
  
2 By Cyberwulf  
  
Rated 15s (R)  
  
Disclaimer : The characters mentioned herein do not belong to me , but rather sprung , Athena-like , fully formed from Joss Whedon's head .  
  
Spoilers : This is a missing scene from 'A New Man'.  
  
Pairing : Giles/Ethan (so leave now if this pairing sickens/disgusts you)  
  
Summary : We never were told why Ethan turned Giles into a Fyarl demon in 'A New Man'. How did he get from " Please listen , you have to listen ! You're going to need time to prepare !" to putting a spell on him ? The writers probably have a reason like he did it because he's Ethan and likes causing trouble , or it was drunken horseplay that got out of hand . However , because I'm fascinated by the concept of Giles and Ethan as a couple , this is another possibility .  
  
" Since you've been gone , since you've been gone ,  
  
I'm out of my head can't take it ,  
  
Could I be wrong , but since you've been gone ,  
  
You cast a spell so break it" – Rainbow , Since You've Been Gone  
  
Rupert lay on his back and gazed up at the water stains on the motel ceiling . So he'd finally done it . The thing he swore he'd never do again . He glanced over at his companion , snoring gently with his back to him . He was still a little surprised that it had happened .  
  
He still didn't know what had possessed him to drink with Ethan , let alone get drunk with Ethan . Perhaps because after twenty-five years of friendship , he still trusted him . Rupert flinched . No , trust was the wrong word . Friendship was the wrong word . And this shouldn't have happened .  
  
They'd talked . Not just about the Initiative , about their lives . A lot of reminiscing about the old days , which inevitably led to gloomy comparisons with their present lives . Which ended up with Rupert tearfully confessing how lonely he was , how he'd missed Ethan ever since their group split apart after Randall's death . When Ethan admitted he felt the same , it was only a few small steps from there to Ethan's motel room , to drunken kisses , nervous , frantic fumblings with buttons and zippers , soft moans and little murmurs of pleasure and encouragement , until they ended up here , when it was all over , Ethan sleeping next to him , sated , content , and Rupert staring at the ceiling , feeling vaguely stunned and more than a little uneasy .  
  
He turned his head to the side and gazed at Ethan . He'd never told Buffy and the others, and he never would , but Ethan wasn't just an old friend . Ethan had been the first person he'd ever really loved . It had started off as a quick shag now and then , when they were randy , or lonely , or high . . . then gradually , it had grown into something more . Ethan had begun to change him . Ripper Giles , who had girls fighting over him , who had his pick of either gender , began to feel jealous and vaguely insecure whenever he saw Ethan flirting with someone , or saw someone run their eyes appreciatively over Ethan's body . Ripper Giles , king of the one night stands , branded a bastard by half the girls in London for kicking them out of his bed as soon as he was finished with them , stayed with Ethan through the night , held him and petted and cuddled him as he came down from orgasm . And Ripper Giles , too manly to display affection in front of others , shamelessly held Ethan's hand when they walked down the street , snogged him in crowded bars , and beat the tar out of anyone rash enough to make cracks about poofs or queers . But most of all , he lost interest in chasing girls (and boys) – the only person he wanted to share himself with was Ethan . That's when he realised that out of all the pretty girls he'd ever bedded , out of all the groupies he'd ever taken after gigs , he'd fallen for Ethan Rayne , the small , slim amateur drummer and budding warlock with the wicked eyes and come hither pout . He'd fallen hard , and he loved him still . Which only made things all the more difficult .  
  
Rupert turned away , unable to look any more . He was starting to sober up . Yes , he still cared about Ethan , but so much had happened since he'd arrived in Sunnydale . They'd found themselves on opposite sides once too often . And he had a feeling Ethan would take this night as some kind of reconciliation , a sign that things could go back to how they were nearly two and a half decades ago .  
  
Careful not to disturb Ethan , Rupert slid from under the covers . He hated himself for doing this , but it was for the best . He got dressed as quickly and as quietly as he could , and picked up his glasses from the nightstand . He wondered how drunk Ethan was . Perhaps he wouldn't remember what had happened . Rupert hoped so . He made his way to the door , paused , and glanced back at the slumbering man in the bed . Ethan had aged well , and in the dim light he looked almost as he had way back when they'd first met .  
  
" I'm sorry ," Rupert murmured under his breath . He let himself out and stood for a few minutes , deciding what to do next . Then he made his way to the road on shaky legs and hailed a cab .  
  
The sound of the door closing woke Ethan . He'd always been a light sleeper . He reached across the bed to embrace Ripper , and when he found himself alone , he realised what had happened .  
  
Tears stung Ethan's eyes as he punched the mattress where Ripper had lain . Bastard ! He hadn't been expecting a proposal of marriage , but the decent thing to do would've been to at least stay the night . Ethan felt he deserved that much . Instead Ripper'd used him , then left as soon as he could so that he wouldn't have to acknowledge , in the cold light of morning , that he'd slept with Ethan and not whoever he'd really been thinking about .  
  
Ethan kicked off the covers and pulled on his trousers . He dragged a wrist across his stinging eyes . He felt dirty and cheap and terribly angry . Blinking back his tears , he drew a symbol on the ground . Ripper and his precious Slayer had got mixed up in his schemes before , but he'd never meant for that to happen . This time , though , it was very personal . He cast the spell in rage and pain , then went back to bed , and glared at the ceiling until dawn broke .  
  
**********  
  
Twenty-four hours later , as he was being led away by soldiers , Ethan was still glad he'd done it .  
  
-^)--)~ 


End file.
